Declare apparatus for a poker game

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for declaring during a Hi-Lo poker game. The declare apparatus may take the form of a mechanical device by which a player may indicate whether he is wagering HI, LO or BOTH ways. The revealing of the player&#39;s selection can be effected by each player or by the poker game dealer.

This invention relates primarily to a poker game, and more particularly to a declare device that is used in poker games that have a Hi-Lo wagering component.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In one of the most popular forms of poker, there are multiple players who play at a poker table. Quite often in these multiple player games, the object for the player is to have a higher ranking poker hand than all of the other players. In order to participate in the game, the players make wagers which are collected in a common pot. Usually, the first wager by each player is called the Ante wager. During the play of the poker game, various betting rounds occur at which each player may make additional wagers. Players may also fold at any point in the poker game upon which the player is withdrawing from further participation in that round of the game. Poker games that have more than one betting round can result in much larger common pots.

At the end of the round of the game, the player with the highest ranking poker hand wins the pot. These multiple player poker games can be played as either draw poker games or stud poker games.

Often these poker games can be played in which the player with the lowest ranking poker hand wins the pot. These multiple player poker games can also be played as either draw poker games or stud poker games.

It is also known to combine both Hi poker with Lo poker into the same game. The player with the highest ranking poker hand splits the pot with the player having the lowest ranking poker hand. It is also possible for the same player to win both ways by having both the Hi hand and the Lo hand during the same round of play.

Many poker formats use this Hi-Lo wagering such as 7 Card Stud and Omaha Hi-Lo Poker.

For example, in Omaha Hi-Lo games, the pot is split between the Hi hand and the Lo hand. Each player receives four Hole cards and each player must use two, and only two, of his Hole cards for the Hi hand and two, and only two, of his Hole cards for his Lo hand. However, one or two of the same cards may be used in the Hi hand and the Lo hand. The same player hand may win both the Hi and the Lo halves of the pot. A common example of a type of hand that can with both the Hi hand and the Lo hand is the “Wheel” which is a hand having an Ace-2-3-4-5. The Wheel is a guaranteed winner of the Lo hand and another player would have to have a higher Straight or other higher poker hand such as a Flush or better to beat this hand as the Hi hand.

The act of declaring is traditionally done by having each player place either zero, one or two chips in his hand. Everyone still in the pot brings one hand back up into view, and everyone opens his hand simultaneously. If a player places zero chips in his hand, he is declaring for low. If he places one chip in his hand, he is declaring for high. If he places two chips in his hand, he is declaring for both high and low.

While this manual manner of declaring in Hi-Lo poker games has been in use for many years, it is susceptible to disputes among the players. Each player may not open his hand simultaneously with the other players and thereby earn an advantage. By sleight-of-hand, a player may be able to manipulate the chips in his hand so as reveal different combinations of zero, one or two chips as may be advantageous to that player.

There is a need for a declare apparatus that will simplify the manner of declaring in a Hi-Lo poker game and to provide a more secure declare component to the Hi-Lo poker game.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Apparatus for declaring during a Hi-Lo poker game is provided. The declare apparatus may take the form of a mechanical device by which a player may indicate whether he is wagering HI, LO or BOTH ways. The revealing of the player's selection can be effected by each player or by the poker game dealer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a declare apparatus of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is various declare apparatus that can be used in Hi-Lo poker games. As described above, during the course of play of Hi-Lo poker games, each player must declare whether he is wagering on the high hand, the low hand or both the high hand and the low hand. The apparatus of the present invention is used to effect this declaring.

The declare apparatus of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIG. 1. The device has an upper section 20 which is generally in the shape of a disk and a lower section 30 which is generally in the shape of a disk, preferably each disk having generally the same radius, circumference and thickness. Both the upper section 20 and the lower section 30 have a generally flat bottom surface and a generally flat upper surface.

At the center of each section, there is provided an axle 34 which allows the upper section 20 to be rotated relative to the lower section 30.

The lower section 30 can be demarcated into three segments, preferably of the same size. On the upper surface of the lower section 30, each segment is provided with indicia indicating the election to be made by the player: HI 42, BOTH 44 and LO 46.

The upper section 20 has a missing segment so that one of the indicia can be uncovered by the upper section 20 and can be viewed from above the device 10.

In use, the player rotates by hand the upper section 20 relative to the lower section 30 so that the missing segment is positioned above the indicia that the player wishes to use to declare whether the player is going HI, LO or BOTH ways. The player then positions the device on the gaming table “face down” with the upper section 20 lying on the gaming table. This prevents other players from seeing the selection made by the player.

When it is time to declare, the device 10 is flipped over by either the player or the dealer to reveal the selection made by the player. This allows the selection made by each player to revealed at the same time so that no player will have an undue advantage over the other players.

While the invention has been illustrated with respect to its various embodiments, these embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting. Various modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited by the foregoing description, but rather should be defined only by the following claims. 

1. A declare device used in a poker game having a Hi-Lo wager component comprising: a) a lower section having a generally flat bottom surface and a generally flat top surface; b) an upper section having a generally flat bottom surface and a generally flat top surface; c) the top surface of the lower section being provided with indicia indicating HI, LO and BOTH; d) the upper section having a missing segment so that one of the indicia on the lower section may be uncovered by the upper section; and e) an axle positioned in the upper section so that the upper section may be rotated relative to the lower section.
 2. The device of claim 1 in which the upper section and the lower section are disks.
 3. The device of claim 2 in which the thickness, radius and circumference of the upper section and the lower section are generally the same. 